CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears weren’t upset by Todd Sauerbrun’s proclamation last week, but he woke up a Bears special-teams unit that had been stuck in a month-plus lull.

Sauerbrun’s comments Wednesday, saying the Broncos would challenge returner Devin Hester, were noted with glee at Halas Hall. The Bears coaching staff broke out Sauerbrun’s words and displayed them in the Bears’ special-teams meeting room Thanksgiving morning. Sunday, the comments were taped up in the Chicago locker room at Soldier Field just in case Hester and his teammates forgot. They didn’t.

After a five-week run with no big returns, Hester ran for two touchdown returns that were a major difference in the Bears’ unlikely 37-34 overtime victory Sunday. Both of Hester’s scores came in the third quarter — one a 75-yard punt return, the other an 88-yard kickoff return.

“Devin Hester single-handedly won the game for them,” Denver cornerback Dre Bly said.

Added Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall: “If it wasn’t for Devin Hester, we would have blown them out.”

Combine the brilliance of Hester with Denver’s special-teams collapse, and that was the difference in a game the Broncos controlled for the first 55 minutes.

While Hester’s two scores gave life to the Bears, another special-teams malady in the fourth quarter was equally devastating. With the game seemingly in hand for Denver with a 34-20 lead, Chicago’s Charles Tillman blocked a punt by Sauerbrun and the Bears took possession at the Denver 18. Four plays later, Chicago scored its first offensive touchdown to pull within 34-27, and the momentum went Chicago’s way the rest of the day.

“It’s embarrassing to lose this game on special teams,” said Denver defensive back Domonique Foxworth, who was on the coverage unit. “It was just embarrassing. We have to look at ourselves and see what happened out there. Just embarrassing.”

Going into the game, Denver had enjoyed a special-teams revival. The Broncos, who allowed a punt return for a touchdown to Buffalo’s Roscoe Parrish in the opening game, were horrible on special-teams coverage in the first five games of the season. After the team’s bye week, Denver’s kick and punt coverage units were ranked sixth in the NFL the past five games. Sunday, Hester — who has 12 returns for scores in just two NFL seasons — dominated Denver.

“He’s good, man. He’s good,” Sauerbrun said. “We took a major step backwards today. Myself, included. We have to find a ways to improve from that because it just wasn’t good enough.”

After the game, several people, including Denver coach Mike Shanahan, said the Broncos should have stayed away from Hester. Their confidence was boosted when they contained Hester in the first half.

“Any time a guy returns two kicks, obviously, you look back and say that wasn’t a very good decision,” Shanahan said.

The Bears were surprised Denver went after Hester again after his punt return for a touchdown.

“I thought they might try to kick more away after the first time,” Chicago special-teams coordinator Dave Toub said. “Early on, in the first half, I thought it was a pretty good idea by them, because we weren’t doing much. We didn’t have a lot of returns. We were kind of bobbling the ball. Our timing was off. Once we got settled down, obviously in the second half, we did a lot better.”

Added Hester, “We knew the opportunity was going to come up, and we had to step up and make plays.”

And they had extra motivation when when they read Sauerbrun’s comments.

“Basically, you see what happens when you talk, you see what happens,” Chicago special-teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo said. “Karma is a very strange thing. It is what it is. Devin Hester did what he had to do today.”

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